RE: I've grown up a bit along the way

Oh, thank you for asking. This is something I like to talk about. So, I'll tell you that something that changed my life was understanding that feelings should be felt, and in my case especially anxiety, because it teaches me a lot about myself, my past, what overwhelmed me, and what I didn't resolve at the time. This helps me even in an anxiety crisis, with all that noise and mental disorder, to start putting one piece on top of the other to understand where it comes from, what caused it, and to be understanding with myself.

Writing it all down is part of it too, both everything I feel and the moment I am feeling it. Like the good things I have, which usually require a lot more effort to notice in those moments, but it helps you turn your mind around. It's like a hack that works well and gets a little easier the more you practice it.

But there's also something that's purely physical, like noticing sensations, sounds, or even tastes. Some people find it helpful to put their hands in cold water or hold an ice cube, but that doesn't work well for me; in fact, it makes me a little more anxious. But breathing works for me, and focusing all my attention on each part of my body, one by one. That distracts my mind and helps me get out of the darkness that forms when anxiety becomes too much.

These are small tools that accompany the long process of changing certain ways of thinking, habits, and what I share in my post, which are all those burdens we carry for a long time and only become aware of later.